


Risk

by Grimey_rick



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Dirty Talk, F/M, Fantasizing, Guilt, Light Angst, Masturbation, Older Man/Younger Woman, Porn With Plot, Possible adultery, Sexual Frustration, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-12-26 02:22:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimey_rick/pseuds/Grimey_rick
Summary: It's been there - that lingering, nibbling feeling - for a while. But similar to this feeling that has etched itself into Beth's head lies her own determination to deal with it and make it work. Wasn't until Beth returns to the Farm for the holidays that she discovers just how much she had been fooling herself...





	1. But Pack Your Heart, You Might Need It

**Author's Note:**

> My first story that I want to share with you all! May be slightly OOC?
> 
> This is titled in relation to the song 'Risk' by Deftones, check it out! 
> 
> Hope ya'll enjoy reading this & let me know what you think :)
> 
> (Plot is entirely my own so no copying of my work will be permitted.)

"That'll be $30 then, Miss."

Beth didn't hear that - she was slumped in the car seat, eyes closed & peaceful - but the taxi driver needed to get going, and it's when he clears his throat that Beth's body jerks and her eyes flutter open, her brows furrowing at the crick in her neck that had formed during the journey back to her parents Farm. She unbuckles the seat belt, reaches for her purse but stops a moment to look up at the man. "How much do I owe you? Sorry... been up since God knows when to get here."

He gives her a smirk & unfastens his own seat belt. "$30. You don't gotta apologize for sleeping. Heck, if I could hit the hay right now you bet your ass I would. Been doing this shift since the morning began."

Beth nods thoughtfully before handing him the $30. "When d'ya get off?" _Soon,_ she hopes - now really noticing how completely shattered he looks - worried for any other passengers he might transport.

He glances at his watch. "3... so an hour." Half smiling. "Let me open the boot, I'll get your luggage."

Beth shrugs. "Not too long, then." And _ye_ s, my luggage, she remembers. "Thank you."

Now the boot of the taxi is empty and Beth's arms are _already_ achy from holding her things. It's been a long day. "Well ma'am, I wish you a very enjoyable Christmas break." He pauses. Looks pensive like he's missed something. "You're not working through any of it, are you?"

"Nope. Just left my last job so I'll be relying on my savings until I've found something decent." She smiles brightly now, begins to walk up to the porch. "Have a lovely Christmas, taxi driver! An don't work too much!"

He's just about getting in the taxi when he waves up at her, "Good luck finding that something decent!" and before she's really heard what he's said, the front door swings open and she's being pulled inside the house by Maggie, all the while her bags hang uncomfortably on her shoulders. "Beth! We weren't expecting you so soon!"

A good lie? "Yeah, well, my flight got cancelled and this was the earlier one! So here I am!" Damn right that's believable.

Maggie frowns but doesn't say anything. Now Annette is striding over to her from the kitchen with open arms and an apron around her waist. "Beth, you're early! Oh Bethy look at you! Are you hungry? We've been preparing dinner but it won't be ready for another few hours. Leaves you plenty'a time to unpack an rest!"

Beth's exhausted. She really does want nothing more than to fall back onto her old bed and pass out. "I'm starvin' but I wanna go have a nap. Come get me when it's ready?"

"Of course. Hershel will be back soon, He went out to get some extra bits for the dinner."

Beth reaches up on her toes to plant a kiss on Annette's cheek. "Can't wait to eat again as a family. I've missed ya'll." Maggie's already halfway up the stairs with the majority of Beth's luggage when she stops, looks over her shoulder towards the two of them and raises her eyebrow at Annette.

"Yeah. But we won't be eatin' as a family just yet Beth. We've got guests." And then she's back to walking up the stairs towards Beth's old room.

"She said that like it ain't a good thing... Who's the company?" Beth questions.

Annette shakes her head, "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, it was a last minute arrangement. Maggie hasn't met them yet either. They've been helping out on the farm with your daddy recently. They keep to themselves... awful generous though. Called Daryl and Merle. Thought it'd be nice to invite them to dinner. Didn't think they'd come at first."

Beth doesn't mind the idea of having guests round. She just hopes she's awake enough to socialise somewhat. "Okay, that's fine." Now Beth's starting to tread up the stairs behind Maggie. "I'm gonna get some sleep."

* * *

Once Beth reaches her room she spots her sister unzipping her suitcase.

Maggie looks up at Beth and grins. "So, how's Zach?"

Beth can't help the sigh that escapes her lips - yes, this was the kind of thing she'd been expecting Maggie to ask her - but can't a girl get some peace after traveling for five straight hours? So, not wanting to make this into anything, Beth keeps her response short. "Good, he's good."

Maggie briefly sifts through Beth's open suitcase and takes out a red sweater. "And how are you and Zach?" She queries, holding the material up to her chest and looking in the mirror.

"Yeah, we're good." Beth replies dismissively, not wanting to think about all of that now, never mind talking about it with her sister.

Maggie looks at Beth through the mirror and tilts her head to the side. "Say good one more time sis and I'll believe you."

Beth rolls her eyes, just wanting Maggie to drop this and get out of her room - take that damn sweater too if she pleases. "Gimme a break Maggie, 'm tired."

Has Maggie got the message? "Okay... I'll ask you about it when you're not tired, then." She shrugs, heading for the door and - as Beth expected - takes the sweater with her.

Really? Will you, Maggie? Beth groans. That's just "Great..." Barely audible but Maggie has exceptional hearing.

She spins around with a frown. "What? I haven't seen you in months, Beth. I just want to know that everything is going well with you." She explains, fiddling with the label on the sweater.

Beth supposes it's fine - she couldn't expect anything less from her older sister. She'll find a way to talk to her about her relationship... But she'll leave out the specifics. "I get it... Just lemme settle in first, yeah?" She shrugs with a smile.

Maggie nods carefully. "Okay lil sis. See you at dinner?"

"You bet."

Maggie whirls around into the landing and shuts Beth's door behind her.

Now Beth can _finally_ get some proper rest... After clearing a space on her bed, that is.


	2. Don't Blink Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner takes place, among other things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! So... It's been two months :O I'm so sorry for anyone that's been waiting on this, school is thoroughly kicking my butt and I'm very much so a procrastinator. 
> 
> I really hope you all enjoy this, it's quite a long chapter and I intend the next one - 'part two' of this chapter - to be published as soon as I can. 
> 
> Also a huge fist bump to anybody commenting, leaving kudus... Y'all really get me hyped and inspired : ) 
> 
> So let's get down to it.

Beth was vaguely aware of her phone vibrating on her bedside table, but it was Maggie beckoning her from downstairs that got her rolling out of bed and skipping down the stairs.

"Want me to lay the table?" She asks into the kitchen, watching as Maggie takes the meat out of the oven whilst Annette puts the kettle on to boil ready to make a gravy. Beth thinks her daddy should be home by now--

Hershel's right behind her, hands on her shoulders, humming into her ear. "That would be great Bethy, but first come and give me a cuddle!"

Beth whips around and wraps her arms around him, smiling into his chest. "Hey! I've missed you! Have you been looking after yourself, daddy?"

"Missed you too pumpkin, we've been looking after each other just fine and we've got two young men to thank partly for that."

" _Young_? Hershel they ain't young!" Annette laughs from the kitchen.

He chuckles, shakes his head and loops Beth's hair through his fingers and twirls it around a bit. "Oh shhh you, they are to me!"

Beth tugs Hershel's hand to get a look at his watch, seeing it's already gone six she wonders "When're they comin'?"

He gives her a warm smile, "Soon sweetie, meanwhile go lay that table!" and pats her back as she walks past to set everything up.

____

A short while later the table is all set nicely and Beth smiles to herself, feeling at ease for the first time in a long time. But then the landline is ringing and Maggie's calling her name saying that it's Zach and that's pretty much where it all gets a bit _uneasy_.

She takes the phone from her sisters hand, shrugs in response to her questioning frown and heads for the door, steps out onto the porch and takes a seat on the bottom step.

She holds the phone to her ears, takes a breath before saying "We're just about to have dinner, are you okay?"

"Oh. Guess so, though I was a bit confused when I got home and you weren't there. You said your flight wasn't until the afternoon."

Beth rolls her eyes at the irony, surprised he'd even noticed she'd gone. "Yep. Sorry, I got the earlier one instead."

"Why?"

 _He's pretending to care now?_ "I need a reason to see my family? Is this all you wanted to talk about?"

His tone is bitter, and Beth pinches the bridge of her nose because _she just doesn't need this right now._ "No, but you need a reason why you just left early without so much as telling me. I need a reason to call you?"

  
"You wanna know why huh? I'm not explaining everything right now Zach but I'll tell you this: you spent the whole night working and didn't think to tell me. I ain't trying to get back at you, I just didn't see a point in waiting around for you the whole morning when I could be with my family."

There's a long pause, like she thinks he won't respond, then "Sounds like you _are_ trying to get back at me."

 _Wow_. "Well I ain't. I gotta go."

"Right," Then, "have fun." which is in no way sincere.

"Yeah I will. You too." She hangs up just before tossing the phone in her frustration, then raises her head when she hears the faint rumbling of an engine, gasping when she's met with a muscular figure that's stood a little ways in front of her and she knows he's too close for Beth to even consider that he _didn't_ hear that phone call. The only light oozes from the house and it's not enough to really inspect his expression like she wants to, she can only make out the dark outline of hair covering his eyes. Then he's joined by another man and she's suddenly aware of her body and the way she must look sat out in the dark with the phone chucked to the dirt, hunched over and cradling her knees. She looks to the both of them, the second addition waves his hand at her and says "You look like somethings just stressed ya the hell out."

She laughs, teeth bared and all - because he's spot on. "Wouldn't be wrong in saying that." She pauses, collecting her thoughts. "I'm Beth. You must be Daryl and Merle." Standing up all too quickly to shake their hands, hissing because it feels like she's just gone full speed on a roundabout.

She takes their hands, noting the roughness of them, how large they are in comparison to her own. "Win a prize if you guess who's called who." The older man rasps playfully.

She's considering it, thinks she can make a pretty good guess, when the man to her left grumbles "Shut up Merle."

She smiles, grateful for the lighthearted nature of the interaction, but also because that's what she would've guessed. "So Daryl's the spoilsport, then?" She jokes, feeling herself recover quickly from any sense of frustration she felt, imagining it trickling away to the part of her brain where all of her other emotions harbour unsolved.

  
Merle chuckles menacingly. "Correct." Which Daryl doesn't appreciate because he thumps his brother and grumbles "Ain't no damn spoilsport."

  
Beth admires their unfiltered character for a moment, before motioning towards the door. "Shall we?"

" After you, darlin' " Merle gestures, and just as Beth remembers the phone she'd chucked into the dirt and goes to grab for it, Daryl's already there, reaching down and snatching it off the ground, handing it to her with a nod. She whispers her thanks and continues on to lead the way to the house.

  
Once inside, Beth announces that they're here and walks with them into the dining room where Hershel is sat at the head of the table, immersed with his newspaper. Beth clears her throat and Hershel looks up, smiling immediately, "Daryl! Merle! Nice to see you both! Annette and my eldest have been busy cooking up a feast in the kitchen so you'd better be hungry."

Merle raises his brow at the mention of Hershel's eldest before grinning, Daryl quirking his lip in a half smile. "Don't worry sir, we are positively starving."

  
"Right then, take a seat!" The oldest man says, folding away his newspaper. "Food'll be out soon."

Merle strides from where he's stood to sit down next to Hershel, Beth doing the same on the opposite side and it's only now that she can properly look at these men - noticing the older man's crinkles that seem to frame his eyes whenever he cracks a smile, sees his greying stubble and slightly tattered shirt, ripped at the shoulders. If Beth was anyone else, perhaps she would think him intimidating or overbearing, but she could tell that he was nothing more than a hardworking, honest, if not somewhat cheeky man.

  
As for Daryl, who had taken the chair beside Merle, was much harder to place - rough, just like his brother, but in an overwhelmingly different way, she couldn't say why, he just was... his presence felt different to her. Unfamiliar yet oddly comforting.

His hair wasn't covering his eyes all that much now, and with the dim light above the dinner table, she could see that they were a rich blue... And God, his arms? She could only imagine what those arms could do. Beth tries not to stare but the more she does, the less she wants to look away. She was perfectly aware that it was human nature to be attracted to other people, even if you were in a relationship. So she doesn't allow herself to feel guilty at the feeling of her cheeks heating or her belly tensing to suppress how laboured her breathing was becoming, or even the small pounding of her clit. It was okay. _Just go upstairs and relieve yourself later._ An involuntary giggle escaped her lips at the thought - because she'd never felt that _relief_ \- her eyes still on Daryl when he met hers and raised his brow---

"Everything alright doodlebug?" Daddy asks, putting his hand atop of hers, crows feet prominent when her eyes snap to his and away from the man who's entire form she'd been so focused on.

She raised a brow, as if questioning herself if everything really _was_ alright. Was it? "Uhh, yeah... Everything's fine daddy! Just thinking about something my friend from work told me the other day..." She glanced in Daryl's direction briefly, unsure if her eyelids fluttered when he drew his lower lip between his teeth because Jesus Christ, does he even  _know_ what he's doing to her? 

"Is everybody ready to eat their full?" Annette hollers from just outside the kitchen, carrying two serving bowls of what looks to be honey parsnips (Beth's favourite) and roast potatoes. The other bowl being one full of broccoli, collard greens and the likes.

"Yes, yes, my stomach's whinin' for food Mrs Greene!" Merle groans, rubbing his belly for emphasis. Daryl nods simply, mouth curving to a smile when he spots the parsnips Annette has put on the table.

Maggie comes into view next, holding a gravy jug and a bowl that once put down, Beth can see contains Mac n cheese. _Mmhhhmm!_

"Good! Go'head and serve yourselves 'fore it gets cold." Annette says, heading back toward the kitchen to get the turkey. Maggie takes the seat beside Beth and introduces herself to the men, striking up conversation with Merle about something trivial.

"Tell me Bethy, how's work going? You still enjoying it?" Their daddy asks, motioning for Daryl to pass the bowl of vegetables, thanking him when he does.

 _Crap_. She hasn't told anybody yet, not even Maggie. But no better time than the present! "Actually, daddy..." He pauses in between scooping out a potato. "I, I quit. It just wasn't what I wanted, even starting out - though I appreciate the opportunity - it just wasn't... wasn't for me." She manages to get out, apparently now very interested in watching her fork twiddle around in her hand.

Hershel nods slowly. "I see, that's okay sweetie. So long as you've got something else lined up. You have, haven't you? There must be hundreds of jobs back in LA that take your fancy."

Here comes the part she's been avoiding even thinking about herself. "No - not really... I don't know, haven't really looked too much." Okay, maybe she has thought about it enough to decide that it's not the jobs that are an issue - it's LA, that whole lifestyle... Isn't for her.

"Hmm. Well what did Zach say?" And Beth notices the slight turn of Daryl's head, away from his food and up to their conversation.

And _fuck_ does she _have_ to answer this question? "He ah, he doesn't know." And yep, just as she'd imagined, her fathers eyes widen and she's wondering what he might say but then Annette walks back into the dining room with a giant turkey sat on a silver dish and everyone bar herself, Hershel and Daryl are cheering for it to be carved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's that...


End file.
